The party's agenda includes calls for greater Sikh representation in public life and single faith schools.

BBC religious affairs reporter Martha Doyle said it would be a political party with a small 'p' - one which hoped to encourage existing politicians to take seriously the issues of their community.

About three quarters of the UK's 340,000 Sikhs are thought to vote Labour.

Our correspondent says the formation of the new party will be seen as a warning to the government that the Sikh vote cannot be taken for granted.

The new party will be allied to another new lobbying body representing the country's 250 plus Gurdwaras (temples), the Sikh Advisory Group.

Neighbourly

This weekend's convention, which started on Friday, is expected to attract a total of 10,000 people from the UK's Sikh community.

Shadow Home Secretary Oliver Letwin is planning to visit the event on Sunday, where he is set to praise the religion's ideals of service to the
community and neighbourly society.

Mr Letwin, who will attend the event at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in
Blakenhall, Wolverhampton, is also expected to call for the
Commission for Racial Equality to monitor Sikhs as a separate ethnic group.

Mr Letwin will tell delegates: "Sikhs now constitute one of the most
numerous and most economically active ethnic groups in the country; their
contribution to business and to many professions is enormous."